Yongli Ming Dynasty

Chapter 193 Forced

The back hall of Zheng's mansion, with Zheng Hongkui sitting at the top, Zheng Zhibao and Zheng Tai on the left, and Zheng Chenggong on the right
After Zheng Chenggong returned from the embassy, ​​he went straight to the Zheng family's head of staff and informed them of Gui Jianguo's request.
When Zheng Hongkui heard that Zhang Kentang was planning to occupy Tongan and buy food and money from the Zheng family, his expression suddenly changed and he immediately said

"This is absolutely not feasible. Let's just take Tong'an. Now Zhang Kentang and his men have no reinforcements. Even if they take Tong'an, it will only be an isolated city. But we must not give them food and money!"

"Now Zhou Hezhi and his men have surrendered to Zhang Kentang and his men. Zhou Hezhi and his men all have navy under their command. If they are given food and money at this moment, once the situation changes, they can immediately rely on Zhou Hezhi and his men's navy to escape into the sea and defend the island."

"Moreover, Zhou Hezhi and his men are very familiar with Fujian Province and can harass the Zhangzhou-Quanzhou border from the sea at any time. If so, this group of troops will immediately become a major threat to our Zheng family."

Zheng Chenggong's expression suddenly changed when he heard this, and he said in a cold voice
"Uncle, what are you talking about? Zhang Butang is the governor of the imperial court, and my Zheng family is a duke personally appointed by the imperial court. How could Zhang Butang attack my Zheng family for no reason?"

"If that day really comes, Zhang Butang will not attack my Zheng family, but the Qing invaders!"

Zheng Hongkui looked at Zheng Chenggong who was staring at him, but his expression froze. How could he not know what Zheng Chenggong meant? If the Zheng family did not surrender to the Qing Dynasty, Zhang Kentang would naturally not conflict with the Zheng family, nor would he attack Zhangzhou and Quanzhou controlled by the Zheng family.
But the current situation is that Zheng Zhilong will soon surrender to the Qing Dynasty and return, and the Zheng family will change from the Zheng family of the Ming Dynasty to the Zheng family of the Qing Dynasty.

At this time, not destroying Zhang Kentang would be considered as indulgence. How can we provide them with military pay and allow them to become more powerful?
But even so, Zheng Hongkui didn't know how to start. He was the one who was most opposed to surrendering to the Qing Dynasty among the Zheng family. How could he start now?

Zheng Hongkui looked at Zheng Chenggong, who was looking cold below him, and his expression darkened. He said

"Da Mu, don't be fooled by Zhang Tongchang and his group. Zhang Tongchang and his group have no good intentions towards my Zheng family!"

"Lord Zeng and Lord Lu are both important ministers of the previous emperor, and they are both in Anping City. Why did Zhang Tongchang not choose the two who are friendly with my Zheng family, but instead went a hundred miles away to invite Zhang Kentang, who has always been at odds with my Zheng family, to be the governor?"

"This Regent Gui is friendly to my Zheng family on the surface, but in fact he is always on guard against my Zheng family. These civil officials are always good at speaking, so don't be fooled by their lies."

Zheng Chenggong was not moved at all when he heard this. He said in a hateful voice:
"That man rushed to Fuzhou to surrender to the Qing Dynasty. How can the court trust our Zheng family?"

"Besides, the imperial court should decide who will be appointed as the governor. My Zheng family is a minister, how can we presumptuously intervene in this matter?"

Zheng Hongkui suddenly became furious when he heard this and shouted:
"What kind of magic potion did they give you?"

"Do you still know your last name? Is the imperial court more important than your father or the Zheng family?"

Zheng Chenggong looked at the angry Zheng Hongkui, but suddenly fell silent, with a trace of deep disappointment in his eyes.
Since Zheng Zhilong ordered the Zheng army to retreat to Zhangzhou and Quanzhou, showing his intention to surrender to the Qing Dynasty, the most fiercely opposed person in the Zheng family was Zheng Hongkui. Zheng Chenggong also regarded Zheng Hongkui as his role model and consulted with his uncle on everything.
In fact, when Zheng Hongkui tried to stop him from joining the court, he had already discovered that Zheng Hongkui was different from him.
But when Zheng Chenggong heard these words from Zheng Hongkui himself, the last bit of hope he had for Zheng Hongkui finally disappeared.
Although Zheng Hongkui and he were both trying to stop Zheng Zhilong from surrendering to the Qing Dynasty, they were not on the same side from the beginning.
Although Zheng Chenggong had given up on Zheng Hongkui, he did not leave in anger.

He came here not to vent his anger, but to shoulder the mission of the court. He had to raise the food and wages for the court no matter what!
Although there are countless grains and salaries in the treasury of Anping City, he may not be able to transfer any of them without Zheng Hongkui's permission. If he wants to complete the task of raising grain, he can only persuade Zheng Hongkui to

The atmosphere in the hall was silent. Zheng Chenggong looked at his uncle who was still furious, and his heart became more determined.
Zheng Chenggong's mind turned, and he spoke again

"May I ask Uncle San, who do you think will win in the end between the Ming and Qing dynasties?"

Zheng Hongkui looked at his nephew who looked calm below him, but he suddenly became alert and said in a deep voice:
"What do you want to say?"

"Does Uncle San think that the Qing Dynasty has already won?"

Zheng Chenggong did not answer Zheng Hongkui's words, but continued to ask

Zheng Hongkui realized what his nephew wanted to say, so his eyes flickered and he spoke directly.

"The Qing court has indeed taken over the whole country. Otherwise, why would so many ministers from the previous dynasty join the Qing court..."

Zheng Hongkui wanted to stop Zheng Chenggong from speaking, but Zheng Chenggong suddenly interrupted him.

"Then why did Zheng Cai decide to rebel against the Qing and join the Ming?"

"That's his evil ambition, he wants to rebel against the emperor!"

When Zheng Hongkui heard Zheng Cai's name, the anger in his heart seemed to have found an outlet. He suddenly slammed the table and shouted

Zheng Chenggong saw Zheng Hongkui's angry expression, but his expression remained unchanged and he continued to ask questions.

"Okay, then Zheng Cai has evil ambitions and wants to establish his own army. Why are the gentry in Jiangnan fleeing south one after another, and why are there rebel armies rising up in Jiangsu and Zhejiang?"

"If the Qing Dynasty really wanted to rule the world, why didn't the gentry in Jiangnan follow the trend and become obedient citizens? Instead, they risked their lives to rebel against the Qing Dynasty. Now there are righteous armies all over the country. Could it be that they also want to raise troops and establish their own regime?"

When Zheng Hongkui heard this, his expression froze. However, Zheng Chenggong, seeing Zheng Hongkui's expression, immediately spoke up and explained the reason.
"Why are there so many rebels in Jiangnan? Because the Qing invaders are not popular at all!"

"The Qing barbarians were originally barbarians outside the Great Wall. They took advantage of the internal strife in the Central Plains and were lucky enough to enter the Great Wall. However, the Qing barbarians have no sense of propriety and morality, so how can they know how to govern the world?"

"These barbarians have been aggressive and violent since they entered the Central Plains. They have taken our Han people as slaves and treated the common people as cattle and sheep, making life miserable for the people in the Central Plains. This is why the people have no choice but to rebel."

"Although the imperial court has lost half of the country, the land occupied by the Qing invaders is also in flames of war!"

"My uncle thinks that the Qing invaders have the potential to sweep across the world, but my nephew thinks that the Qing invaders are about to fall."

"The Qing barbarians are not benevolent and righteous. The more land they occupy, the more people they will oppress, and the more people will rise up against the Qing. How can the barbarians last a hundred years?"

"Although the Qing court is now in a fierce position, the people of the world are in our Ming Dynasty. Uncle is also a minister of the country. To be honest, even if we cannot say that the court will win, it is too early to say who will win. Uncle, do you agree with this?"

"Yes, the situation is indeed unclear now." Zheng Hongkui looked at Zheng Chenggong who was staring at him closely below, and was silent for a moment before speaking softly.

The current situation is just as Zheng Chenggong said. No one can tell who will win or lose between the Ming and Qing dynasties.

They were in Fujian Province and were very familiar with the situation in Jiangnan. If people in the world really believed that the Qing Dynasty had already won, how could so many people rise up against the Qing Dynasty?

It is precisely because the current situation is unclear and both sides feel that they have a chance that the world is in such chaos today.
At this time, Zheng Chenggong pointed out the matter, and Zheng Hongkui was unwilling to argue anymore. At the same time, he also wanted to see what his nephew wanted to do.

When Zheng Chenggong saw that Zheng Hongkui did not refute, a gleam of brilliance flashed in his eyes, and he immediately said

"Since Third Uncle also believes that the outcome between the Ming and Qing dynasties is uncertain at this time, then we should agree to the request of the Gui Regent Mission at this time."

"My Zheng family is in a dangerous situation now. We must not put all our hopes on the Qing invaders. If my Zheng family lends a helping hand to the imperial court now, if the situation changes in the future, my Zheng family can also use today's favor to leave a way out."

"My nephew agreed to the request of the Gui Regent delegation, which is also for the long-term benefit of our Zheng family."

A gleam of brilliance flashed in Zheng Chenggong's eyes. He had already discovered the position of his third uncle. The court was important to Zheng Hongkui, but the Zheng family was more important than the court.

Before Zheng Zhilong surrendered to the Qing Dynasty, Zheng Hongkui hoped to persuade Zheng Zhilong to re-establish the Ming court, which would not only preserve the Zheng family but also allow him to maintain his integrity. Therefore, he firmly opposed Zheng Zhilong's surrender to the Qing Dynasty.

But after Zheng Zhilong insisted on going to Fuzhou to surrender to the Qing Dynasty, Zheng Hongkui realized that if he continued to support the Ming court, the Zheng family would immediately fall apart, so he immediately and decisively gave up the Ming court and chose to prioritize the integrity and interests of the Zheng family.
Since justice is no longer useful to Zheng Hongkui, he now uses the interests of the Zheng family to persuade Zheng Hongkui.

Regardless of whether it was for the sake of justice or the Zheng family, the most important thing at the moment was to get Zheng Hongkui's approval. He had to raise this batch of food and money for the court no matter what.
Zheng Hongkui was shocked when he heard this. He stared at the young man in front of him with sharp eyes for a long time without saying a word.
Zheng Zhibao below heard this and nodded subconsciously.
Zheng Tai, who was standing by, saw that Zheng Zhibao seemed to agree with him. After receiving Zheng Chenggong's look, he thought about it and said

"Third brother, although some of what Da Mu said is not right, I think there is one thing that makes sense."

"The situation is unclear at this moment. If my Zheng family can avoid falling out with the imperial court, it is better not to do so completely."

"The Gui Regent delegation wants 5,000 shi of grain, so we might as well give it to them. Besides, the delegation is willing to pay for it. Although the price is lower, we won't lose much money."

"In my opinion, since it is a favor, why not do it to the end? Five thousand shi of grain is only about 10,000 or 20,000 silver coins. My Zheng family is big and powerful, so this little silver is nothing to me."

"If I can use this little bit of money to gain some favor for my Zheng family from Regent Gui, I think it's worth it."

Zheng Tai was the general merchant of the Zheng family's ten maritime and land trades. The goods needed for the Zheng family's maritime trade were not only purchased from Jiangsu and Zhejiang, but also a considerable part of them came from Guangdong Province.
Now that Gui Jianguo has established his government in Guangdong Province, if they completely break off relations, the Zheng family will probably never get any goods from Guangdong Province again.

In Zheng Tai's opinion, the things that Gui Jianguo's envoys wanted were nothing at all. To be honest, as long as Zheng Hongkui nodded, he could make up the money for purchasing grain.
Moreover, in recent days, the delegation has not only been in contact with Zheng Hongkui and the generals in the army, but also made some promises to Zheng Tai. This is why he is willing to persuade Zheng Hongkui together with Zheng Chenggong today.
After Zheng Tai finished speaking, Zheng Hongkui seemed to have not heard anything at all and just sat in silence on the chair.
Seeing that Zheng Hongkui was still unwilling to speak, Zheng Chenggong gritted his teeth and spoke

"I'll tell you the truth, Uncle San. There's no way I'll go with that guy to surrender to the Qing Dynasty."

"When that person returns to Anping, I will go to the Governor's Office to serve. Even if I have to be a clerk in the Governor's Office, I will be willing to do so."

"If I surrender to the imperial court, it would mean that I belong to two different countries with that person. Uncle should just give this batch of rice to my nephew as an inheritance, and let my nephew go out and live on his own."

As soon as Zheng Chenggong finished speaking, Zheng Zhibao's face darkened and he immediately shouted
"What nonsense are you talking about? Do you know that your third uncle is for the Zheng family..."

Zheng Zhibao had just finished speaking when Zheng Hongkui suddenly waved his hand, stopping Zheng Zhibao from speaking.

Zheng Hongkui looked at Zheng Chenggong below, his eyes showing both admiration and anger. He was silent for a moment, then suddenly spoke softly.

"This Zheng family was conquered by your father. If you want to split up the family, just wait for your father to come back and tell him yourself. You don't need to tell me these things."

"As for the Gui Jianguo delegation's plan to buy grain, you make your own decision, but you must remember that when your father is gone, you are the head of the Zheng family. You will have to take responsibility for everything you do now."

Zheng Chenggong, who was below, heard Zheng Hongkui's agreement, but a hint of joy flashed across his face. He completely ignored the second half of Zheng Hongkui's words and immediately said

"Yes, this matter was all decided by my nephew. If that person wants to investigate later, all the responsibilities will be borne by Da Mu alone!"

Zheng Chenggong agreed without hesitation. He had already decided to leave the Zheng family and join the imperial court as soon as Zheng Zhilong came back. So what was he afraid of Zheng Zhilong pursuing?
Even if he stayed in the Zheng family, he would not be afraid of Zheng Zhilong. Everything he did was out of public interest and justice. What did he have to fear?

"The situation is urgent right now, so we can't delay any longer. Since Third Uncle agrees, I'll do it right away."

Zheng Chenggong saw that Zheng Hongkui seemed to want to speak again, but he was afraid that Zheng Hongkui had changed his mind again, so he spoke first and said goodbye.

Zheng Chenggong bowed to Zheng Hongkui, and seeing that Zheng Hongkui did not object, he winked at Zheng Tai opposite him and walked out of the hall.
Zheng Tai looked at Zheng Hongkui who had been silent for a long time, bowed, said goodbye and left, following Zheng Chenggong.
In the lobby, Zheng Hongkui looked at Zheng Chenggong's departing back and was silent for a long time before speaking in a muffled voice.

"What a great way of coercion and inducement, what a great way of forcing with friendship, he is indeed the son of Zheng Zhilong"

"But why should it be used on me?"

"This Zheng family just wants me, Zheng Shengyi, to be disloyal? Who am I doing this for?"

"Third brother..."

Zheng Zhibao looked at Zheng Hongkui, who looked depressed, and wanted to speak to comfort him, but before he could finish his words, Zheng Hongkui stood up and left, disappearing into the lobby.
Zheng Zhilong withdrew all of Zheng's troops to Zhangzhou and Quanzhou, so a large amount of food and grass was piled up in Anping City.
Without Zheng Hongkui's obstruction, Zheng Chenggong quickly transported 5,000 dan of rice from the treasury with the assistance of Zheng Tai.
After Zheng Chenggong got the rice, he immediately started preparing the carriages for transporting the grain, which actually took more time than collecting the rice.

Zheng Chenggong had collected the carriages and was about to transport the rice to Xicheng, but before he could act, the Qing messenger had already rushed into Anping, and Anping City suddenly became a panic.
(End of this chapter)